Children in British primary schools spend 20% or 1.4 years of their school attendance in play and yet many schools have no strategic or values based approach to play across all ages.

Research shows that play contributes to children’s physical and emotional health, well-being, approach to learning and enjoyment of school.  Given the importance of play in children’s lives and current concerns about children’s health and opportunity to access time and space to initiate their own play outdoors, there are considerable benefits for children, parents, school and the wider community from participating in high quality play.

Stowford School is the proud recipient of the OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) Platinum Award.  Working with OPAL has enhanced our play at lunchtime.  From being football dominated we now offer an exciting, creative, physical environment which has something to offer everyone.  Children are now highly active and interactive; challenged both physically and mentally.  There is high quality role play, greater integration across the school and so much creativity.  You can build a den, play in the mud kitchen, chat in the quiet area, scramble on the assault course, hunt for bugs among the trees, dig to your heart's content in the sand pit - the possibilities are endless and our children love it.